Newsline: Ex-Malaysian Diplomat Counters Allegations Of Black Magic And Defecating In Public In New Zealand

After having pleaded guilty earlier this week to a charge of indecent assault against a New Zealand woman for bursting into her bedroom naked from the waist down, many Malaysians thought that embarrassing episode involving the former military attache with the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington was closed. However, more sordid details about former defence attaché Muhammad Rizalman continued to make international headlines as he testified in Wellington High Court in a disputed facts hearing. In a transcript of the court hearing, the prosecution had questioned Rizalman over practising black magic, allegations of taking a dump outside the victims house and smoking weed among others. In earlier hearings before changing his plea to guilty, Rizalman had pleaded mental illness with his wife and medical experts testifying to his disturbed mental state. Rizalman had reportedly told a psychiatrist he believed a superior officer had put a spell on him, and that the officer had an uncle who was a shaman, nzherald.co.nz reports. He also told the court that he received mixed signals from the victim, and that he thought she had wanted him to go to her place. Rizalman’s case had caused international embarrassment to Malaysia after he apparently left New Zealand last year under the guise of diplomatic immunity before he was even tried for the criminal charges but the diplomatic misunderstanding was eventually sorted out and Rizalman returned in October 2014 to face the charges.